Monday, May 2, 2016

WOOLWICH — The Township of Woolwich is
calling on the federal government to help clean up Agent Orange
contamination in the Canagagigue Creek.

The dioxins and furans in the creek are the
fallout from production of the herbicide at the Uniroyal plant in the
1960s and now politicians say it's about time the Canadian government
stepped up to take its responsibilities.

"I don't think you should make a small
municipality take care of a problem that is bigger than itself," Mayor
Sandy Shantz said.

Uniroyal Chemical Ltd. was contracted by the
U.S. government to produce Agent Orange in the 1960s. The herbicide
contains the toxic chemical dioxin and was used by the U.S. government
during the Vietnam War. It can cause cancer and other serious health
problems.

Politicians and residents say the government
failed in its duty of care to oversee pesticide production and enforce
legislation that might have prevented the contamination at the time.

What further frustrates Dick Jackson, chair
of a township committee which oversees cleanup of the local water supply
and creek, is that the Canadian government has assisted with Agent
Orange site investigations in Vietnam. The U.S. has started to help
clean up hot spots there, such as former military bases where the
chemical was stored.

"There's an enormous amount of concern and
frustration, huge frustration, in the community," Jackson said. "The
fact that the Canadian government would help the Vietnamese and not do
anything here in the community … it's rather cause for puzzlement.

"We don't understand what it is that has happened to us in the community."